Catheter with augmented drainage means

ABSTRACT

A catheter for the drainage of a region of the human body into which region one end of the catheter is inserted, usually by means of an axial force. Means is provided for augmenting the drainage area of the catheter whereby to minimize clogging by such particulate matter as may be present in the region to be drained. In addition, means may be provided to shroud at least some of the drainage means while the catheter is being thrust into the region. The catheter comprises a pair of flexible fins which surround a catheter tube on each side of a passage through its wall. The passage is an inlet means to the lumen of the tube. These fins are joined to each other at a peripheral junction so as to form a chamber in communication with the passage. A plurality of perforations through at least one of the fins augments the inlet means in the sense of providing an increased total flow channel to the lumen of the tube without requiring enlargement of the passage, which could risk the passage of particulate matter of excessive size.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Rudolf R. Schulte Santa Barbara,Calif. 21 Appl. No. 47,657 [22] Filed June 19, 1970 [45] Patented Dec.14, 1971 [73] Assignee l-leyer-Schulte Corporation Santa Barbara, Calif.Continuation-impart of application Ser. No. 844,559, July 24, 1969. Thisapplication. June 19, 1970, Ser. No. 47,657

[54] CATHETER WITH AUGMENTED DRAINAGE MEANS 5 Claims, 5 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 128/350 R, 128/245 [51] lnt.Cl A6lm 27/00 [50] Field ofSearch 128/348, 349 R, 349 B, 350 R, 350 V, 351, 245

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,383,502 7/1921 Vultee128/245 2,470,665 5/1949 Stiehl 128/348 X 2,667,875 2/1954 Wallace128/349 B 3,173,418 3/1965 Baran Primary Examiner-Dalton L. TruluckAttorneyAngus and Mon ABSTRACT: A catheter for the drainage of a regionof the human body into which region one end of the catheter is inserted,usually by means of an axial force. Means is provided for augmenting thedrainage area of the catheter whereby to minimize clogging by suchparticulate matter as may be present in the region to be drained. 1naddition, means may be provided to shroud at least some of the drainagemeans while the catheter is being thrust into the region. The cathetercomprises a pair of flexible fins which surround a catheter tube on eachside of a passage through its wall. The passage is an inlet means to thelumen of the tube. These fins are joined to each other at a peripheraljunction so as to form a chamber in communication with the passage. Aplurality of perforations through at least one of the fins augments theinlet means in the sense of providing an increased total flow channel tothe lumen of the tube without requiring enlargement of the passage,which could risk the passage of particulate matter of excessive size.

mzmtnmmm 31626350 INVENTOR. RUDOLF 1Q. SCHULTE BY W i MW A TTOQ/VE Y5.

CATHETER WITH AUGMENTED DRAINAGE MEANS CROSS-REFERENCE TO OTHER PATENTAPPLICATION This is a continuation-in-part of applicant's copending U.S.Pat. application, Ser. No. 844,559, filed July 24, 1969, entitledNon-Clogging Catheter."

This invention relates to a catheter for the drainage of fluids fromwithin the human body.

A conventional catheter is a tube with an axially extending lumen which,near one end thereof has a passage in the nature of an inlet portextending between the lumen and the outer wall. After the catheter isthrust in to a region holding unwanted fluids, the fluid may enter theinlet port and flow through the lumen to be disposed of either outsidethe body or in some region within the body where a further disposalprocess takes place.

A well-known application for such a catheter is in the alleviation ofthe symptoms of hydrocephalus. ln such cases, a catheter is thrust intothe ventricles of the brain in order to drain unwanted fluid therefrom,and is then led through the jugular vein into the heart so that thefluid from the ventricles enters the blood stream and is disposed of inthe process of purification of the blood.

A problem encountered with conventional catheters is that the debriscreated by its insertion may clog the inlet port during the insertionprocess. Furthermore, in applications such as in drainage of the brain,the matter of the brain is thrust aside upon insertion and when thebrain is decompressed by drainage of the fluid, it tends to bear againstthe wall of the catheter, thereby potentially clogging the inlet port.Also, the fluids to be drained are frequently burdened with particulatematter which can clog up single openings as so often are provided inconventional catheters. It is an object of this invention to providemeans whereby the catheter may be rendered substantially nonclogging andnonoccludable both during the process of insertion and during the timethat it remains inside the region to be drained, and also havingaugmented means whereby to increase the number of drainage ports withoutweakening the tube and without requiring enlargement of the port itself.

A catheter according to this invention comprises a tube having aninternal longitudinal lumen with an inlet port or passage passingthrough its wall to the lumen. A pair of circumferential flexible finsare attached to the outer wall of the tube on each side of the openingand are connected to each others peripheries so as to form a chamberbetween them in fluid communication with the inlet port. A plurality ofperforations is provided in at least one of the fins and may be providedin both. Advantages are obtained when only that one of the fins of eachpair which is the farther from the tip is perforated.

The above and other features of this invention will be fully understoodfrom the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a perspective drawing showing the presently preferredembodiment of this invention together with a tool for its insertion;

F l6. 2 is a perspective drawing partly in cutaway cross section showingthe catheter of the invention in the process of being inserted into thebrain;

FIG. 3 shows the device of F I68. 1 and 2 in the brain;

FIG. 4 is a cross section taken at 4-4 ofFIG. l; and

FIG. 5 is a axial cross section taken at line 5-5 of FIG. 2.

The presently preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in F lG. 1wherein a catheter is shown which includes an elongated tube 11 having acentral lumen 12 comprising a cylindrical interior bore ending at aclosed tip 13.

Drainage means 14 comprising a laterally extending hole extendingbetween the lumen 12 and outer wall 15 of the tube is provided to permitfluid from outside the tube to be drained to the internal lumen and thusto be removed from the body. In the prior art, such drainage means(hereinafter frequently referred to as drain ports) have been all theopenings which exist, and these have been subject to clogging byparticulate matter contained in the fluid to be drained and also bycontact with the surrounding tissue which has been pushed aside uponinsertion of the catheter itself.

It is an object of this invention to increase the drainage cross sectionof the drainage means without, however, permitting passage of very largeparticulate matter which downstream in the heart or in the jugular veinmight cause distress or damage to the person. For example, were ports 14to be made quite large and large particulate matter to be dischargedinto the heart, then damage to the heart valves, or occlusion of variousones of the veins and arteries might occur which could cause a stroke.in the instant device, an augmented drainage cross section is providedwithout increasing the risk of passage of particulate solid material.

Furthermore, this is accomplished while still providing, if desired,means for shrouding the ports 14 during the time when the catheter isforced into the region which it is to drain.

According to this invention, a pair of circumferential fins 20, 21 arebonded to, or otherwise formed integrally with, outer wall 15. Theseinclude annular disclike surfaces which are joined at their outerperipheral edges 22, 23 respectively by cementing or fusion so as toform inside chambers 24, which chambers are in fluid communication withrespective ones of ports 14.

Either one or both of each pair of fins is provided with perforations 25to provide for admission of fluids from the surrounding region into thechamber. According to a preferred but optional feature of the invention,and as best shown in FIG. 5, these perforations are provided only in thefins which are on the opposite side of the tip from the other member ofthe respective pair of fins.

Accordingly, with reference to FIGS. 2 and 5, when the catheter isthrust into brain 30 through a hole 31 formed in the skull 32 by axialforce exerted on the end of a thrust rod 33, the fins will be deflectedrearwardly, and those which are exposed to the material of the brainwill shroud the perforations. Thereafter when pressure is relieved, andas best shown in FIG. 3 the material of the catheter will spring backand the fins will restore themselves to their generally annular shape,thereby exposing their perforations to fluid in the brain.

It will thereby be understood that this device provides a meansoptionally for shrouding the perforations of the catheter upon insertioninto the brain or the region to be drained, and thereafter when themeans for insertion is removed, to provide an augmented inlet means suchthat a particle of material might clog up one perforation, but not theinlet passage, so that the device is not disabled. The perforations inthe fins would preferably be smaller than the diameter of port 14. Theentire structure is preferably made of medical grade silicone rubber,and joined as appropriate by a similar type of cement. I

This invention is not to be limited by the embodiment shown in thedrawings and described in this description which is given by way ofexample and not of limitation but only in accordance with the appendedclaims.

lclaim:

1. A catheter for the drainage of fluid such as hydrocephalus fluid fromthe region of the human body into which the catheter is inserted by anaxial force exerted at its tip end, which region contains substanceslikely to close or to clog the catheter such as by dislodged debris orby occlusion occasioned by abutment of matter in said region, saidcatheter comprising: a tube having an internal longitudinal lumen, anouter peripheral wall, a closed tip end, an inlet port space from thetip end and passing through said outer wall to said lumen, a first and asecond flexible fin each making a full peripheral sealing contact withthe outer peripheral wall and extending entirely around the tube, thefirst fin being disposed on the side of the inlet port closer to the tipend, and the second fin being disposed on the opposite side thereof, thefins being joined peripherally to form a chamber between them and thesaid outer wall, said chamber structure formed by the fins beingspringly flexible so as to exert springback force against a surroundingenvironment, thereby to maintain the fins in their general shape of adouble ended frustoconical member, said chamber being in fluidcommunication with the said inlet port, one of the fins having aplurality of perforations therethrough to admit fluid into said chamber,said tube being further provided with a plurality of such chambers andinlet ports, identical to that defined above, spaced-apart axially alongsaid tube.

2. A catheter according to claim 1 in which the said perfrations areformed in the said second fin, whereby when the

1. A catheter for the drainage of fluid such as hydrocephalus fluid fromthe region of the human body into which the catheter is inserted by anaxial force exerted at its tip end, which region contains substanceslikely to close or to clog the catheter such as by dislodged debris orby occlusion occasioned by abutment of matter in said region, saidcatheter comprising: a tube having an internal longitudinal lumen, anouter peripheral wall, a closed tip end, an inlet port space from thetip end and passing through said outer wall to said lumen, a first and asecond flexible fin each making a full peripheral sealing contact withthe outer peripheral wall and extending entirely around the tube, thefirst fin being disposed on the side of the inlet port closer to the tipend, and the second fin being disposed on the opposite side thereof, thefins being joined peripherally to form a chamber between them and thesaid outer wall, said chamber structure formed by the fins beingspringly flexible so as to exert springback force against a surroundingenvironment, thereby to maintain the fins in their general shape of adouble ended frustoconical member, said chamber being in fluidcommunication with the said inlet port, one of the fins having aplurality of perforations therethrough to admit fluid into said chamber,said tube being further provided with a plurality of such chambers andinlet ports, identical to that defined above, spaced-apart axially alongsaid tube.
 2. A catheter according to claim 1 in which the saidperforations are formed in the said second fin, whereby when thecatheter is thrust into said region by an endwise force, the fin foldsand shrouds the perforations in the said second fin.
 3. A catheteraccording to claim 1 in which said perforations are formed in both thesaid fins.
 4. A catheter according to claim 1 in which the fins and thetube are made of silicone rubber.
 5. A catheter according to claim 4 inwhich the fins and the tube are connected together with the siliconeadhesive so as to form a substantially continuous body.